I just read an interesting article about mistaken identity.

Namely, the author, a black man at a national swimming function was repeatedly mistaken for Cullen Jones. Mind you, he doesn’t look like Cullen Jones, but the perception is that Cullen is the black swimmer.

The author, Jeff Comings, was a college swimmer in the 90s, and he points out that the sport had more black faces in his day. It’s a shame that we’re still talking about the first black swim this and the first black swim that, and it’s a shame that there doesn’t seem to be room for more than one great black swimmer.

But, as Comings pointed out, there were and are several others, and if the Make a Splash initiative succeeds, there should be many more in the future.

When my daughter swam competitively, there was a younger girl just starting out. People confused the two, much to my daughter’s chagrin. Our swim club had more black faces than any other in town. I will be on the lookout for some of the more passionate swimmers in the future.

My point is, I don’t live in Philadelphia, where there’s a lively predominantly black swim club. My city doesn’t have many black swimmers. Yet the ones it has are deadly serious. I am excited for what the future holds. Maybe, finally, we’ll have moved on from trailblazing into an established tradition of excellence? Does that sound good?

Doable?

Congress just recognized the high drowning rate among black children. The resolution recognizes the irony of a country that produces both Michael Phelps and a black community that is 60% non-swimming.

The resolution recognizes that swimming is more than a preference; more than a cute sport, but is a valuable life skill.

It is summed up:

Whereas nonprofit initiatives, like the USA Swimming Foundation’s program ‘Make A Splash’, are working hard to meet the need for swimming lessons by partnering with local communities to offer all children access to swimming education: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) expresses the importance of access to swimming lessons for all communities in the United States as an integral part of drowning prevention;

(2) recognizes the danger of fatal unintentional drowning in the United States;

(3) condemns the persistently high rates of fatal drowning among all children, and the particularly high rates of fatal drowning among minority children;

(4) celebrates the passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act;

(5) celebrates the work of initiatives like USA Swimming Foundation’s ‘Make A Splash’ and Safe Kids USA to educate parents and caregivers on water safety and drowning prevention messages; and

(6) encourages public and private funding to support current and future initiatives that provide all children access to swimming education

Pretty heady stuff. USA Swimming suddenly has a much higher purpose than fostering swim competition. Could we actually be a nation of full swimming ability, like we were once a nation of full literacy? You can view the entire resolution here.

I got up this morning after having a dream that I canceled swimming. I was disoriented, but I couldn’t see any reason not to go swimming, so I went.

I got to the pool in the 6 o’clock hour, and the Y swim team was practicing in most of the lanes. I found myself grateful that there was a space right down the middle of the double lane for me. I’m sure we would have swum circles if this space hadn’t been there–and circles are almost a dealbreaker for me.

On my first 25 free, I almost got through the whole shallow end underwater on my push off. That exhasuted me, and I stood panting at the wall at the end of my first 50. Before I’d caught all my breath–isn’t that impossible in swimming? I swam another 50 free, relieved that I didn’t have to break up my first 100 free like I did last week.

My IM time today, 2:58.16, was 10 seconds slower than last time. I will be glad to see my numbers get more consistent, and then decrease.

I know my kids are getting sick of me obsessing over swimming, but I can’t help but try to work out swimming problems out loud. I complained to my daughte that freestyle felt like running while holding your breath. I was still feeling like such the failure for struggling with freestyle. Then she told me that it never gets easier, and that, yes, freestyle is like running while holding your breath, and that swimming is just hard. . .

I mused today that breast stroke is more like walking. Although you can break into a jog if you’re fast.

I’ll count myself lucky if I get in the pool on Saturday. Otherwise, I’m done until next week.

I saw an exciting tweet from Cullen Jones today. He said he and Make a Splash would be featured on HBO Real Sports tonight.

Again I think it’s odd and unfortunate that this gold medal winner would be questioned about the black drowning rate. Clearly, he’s beat the odds there. But on the other hand, I’m very proud of this young man for standing up and taking responsibility for others who can’t swim, and he’s doing all he can to reverse the trend.

HBO puts in historical perspective, and they weigh in on the question ‘why don’t more black people swim?’

I don’t know if I buy that the reason has as much to do with segregation as with habit, but I’m sure that played its part.

Be sure to check it out at 10 PM Eastern time if you can!

This is the North Carolina A&T women’s swim team of 2006. I have felt bad about not writing about this HBCU swim team, but now when I try, I have a hard time finding any current information on them. I was so happy to find this three year old picture. Who knows? Maybe there’s a freshman or sophomore in the picture who might still be on the team?

And here’s a picture of the Howard Women’s swim team of 2006. Does anybody know about either team’s records? How did they stack up against each other?

Samuel L. Jackson swam competitively in High School and on the Morehouse swim team.

I wonder why he didn’t star in Pride?